Stock and options trading on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) was restored on Friday after a sudden systems outage halted activity during an already shortened trading session. The disruption, triggered by a data-center cooling failure, briefly rattled global markets and forced traders to shift to standby platforms.
The outage hit shortly before the bell, affecting key CME services used for equities, options, futures and derivatives contracts. With Friday’s session already operating on reduced hours, the timing intensified market concerns as traders scrambled for updates.
CME Group confirmed that the issue originated from a cooling malfunction at one of its primary data centers, leading to widespread connectivity problems. Engineers were deployed to stabilise the system, and trading eventually resumed after emergency fixes were implemented.
Market analysts said the interruption underscores the vulnerability of global trading infrastructure, especially during periods of heavy reliance on automated systems. The temporary shutdown caused delays in order execution, pricing visibility and risk-management operations across several institutional desks.
While CME has not reported any security breach or data loss, the company said it is conducting a full internal review to prevent similar incidents.
Nigerian stocks see turnover slump as market value drops by N2trn
